This Redditor took to the forum to tell a story of petty revenge. He chronicles the time he got revenge on a faculty member that had been treating him as their personal assistant.
He’s an Admin Assistant
The Original Poster (OP) had been working as an administrative assistant in a college office for a few years. He was a hard-working and dedicated employee who often went above and beyond the call of duty to get things done. However, there was one member of the faculty who seemed to take advantage of OP’s helpful nature.
This particular faculty member liked to treat OP as their personal assistant, giving him unreasonable deadlines and directing any work possible onto anyone deemed “below” them. OP was frustrated by this treatment, but he tried to remain professional and do his job to the best of his ability.
They Treated Him Like a PA
One day, the faculty member approached OP with requests for multiple textbooks that they “wanted to consider.” OP knew what was happening, but he placed all the orders as they told him to, staying late because, surprise! Another inflated deadline.
Because this was a college, they used to get “free” textbooks in the mail all the time and could request textbooks for consideration from the publisher. The hope was that the faculty would pick a book for a class, and the publisher could then sell the books that the students would need for class.
Technically, books that they didn’t pick were supposed to get mailed back to the publisher, but that rarely happened, and no one got in trouble for keeping a book.
A Book Scam
The faculty member did not want to consider those books. They wanted to rack up a stack of free texts that they could sell for a quick buck because no one would chase after “free” copies.
OP knew that this was unethical and would ultimately hurt the students who would end up paying for those textbooks. However, he had no choice but to follow the faculty member’s orders.
OP followed instructions, placed all the textbook orders, and waited. Not long, mind you, just long enough for the faculty member to make some sales and eventually select the same book they had used the last time they taught the course (no need to revise the curriculum that way).
Oh, and of course, they will need a new copy of the book they picked (and already had), so OP needed to order that ASAP.
He Set His Trap
When the faculty member asked OP to order a new copy of the book, OP had an idea. He replied, “No problem, I’ll get a fresh copy (of the book you have in your office) and work on returning all the books you didn’t pick. Please bring them back to my office tomorrow.”
The look of shock on the faculty member’s face was delightful. It confirmed that they had indeed sold at least some of the books. Better yet, it cornered them into somehow getting the books back unless they wanted to be on the hook with the publisher or exposed for unethical activity.
The faculty member tried to get out of it, asking if it was really necessary, whether they could keep them for personal use, and asking OP to ask the publisher if they could keep them and consider them for a different class, but alas! No, “the publishers,” said that all the books needed to get returned right away!
He Watched Him Squirm
OP felt a sense of satisfaction as he watched the faculty member squirm. He knew that he had put them in a difficult position and that they would have to face the consequences of their unethical behavior. OP felt that he had finally gotten some petty revenge against the faculty member who had treated him so poorly.
In the end, OP was reasonably certain that the faculty member ended up buying at least one “like new” copy to replace the brand-new one received. While OP was not faculty, he could write a thesis on petty revenge, and he felt that he had successfully executed his revenge plan!
He Was Proud of Himself
OP felt proud of himself for not backing down and for standing up to someone who had been taking advantage of him. This experience taught OP a valuable lesson about standing up for himself and not allowing others to take advantage of him.
He learned that sometimes it’s necessary to take action and be assertive, even if it means going against someone in a position of authority.
In the end, OP’s actions may have only been a small act of revenge, but it was a victory nonetheless!
Redditors enjoyed his tale. One user said, “Good on you. Modern academia leaves a lot to be desired.”
What do you think about his story of petty revenge? Was it justified?
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The post He Was Tired of Being an Errand-Boy, so He Revealed His Professor’s Book-Selling Scam first appeared on Wealthy Living
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Source: Reddit